Final preparations for Liam Payne's funeral underway ahead of service


Final preparations for Liam Payne

Published: 08:02 GMT, 20 November 2024 Liam Payne's funeral will take place today, with all four of his former One Direction bandmates expected to pay their respects at the ceremony in the Home Counties. The 31-year-old star died just over a month ago on October 16 from head injuries he suffered after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel suite in Buenos Aires. His heart-broken father Geoff brought his son's remains back to Britain two weeks ago, after extensive examinations from the Argentinian authorities into his death. Payne travelled to Argentina in September with girlfriend Kate Cassidy where he watched former bandmate Niall Horan perform and also saw his close friend Rogelio 'Roger' Nores. He had extended his stay to renew his visa to live in the US when the tragedy occurred. Payne will be laid to rest today in a private funeral in the Home Counties where just his family and closest friends will attend, followed by a wake. Early this morning, beautiful flowers were arranged outside the entrance to the church where his funeral is being held as final preparations were completed. One source told The Sun: 'His family have gone to great lengths to put together the perfect service and give him the send off he deserves. 'Liam may have been a global superstar but to Geoff and Karen he will always be their little boy. It is going to be an incredibly difficult day.' Former One Direction members Harry Styles, 30, Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, are expected to be there to say their final goodbyes. In a joint statement released in the wake of Payne's tragic death, Tomlinson, Malik, Horan, and Styles said they were 'completely devastated.' 'In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,' they said. 'But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. 'The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. 'We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam - Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.' Tomlinson, Styles and Malik all later released separate tributes. Styles wrote on Instagram that he was 'truly devastated' and will 'miss him always'. 'His greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.